A Month's Worth of Pictures

It's been way too long since I posted.  This last month at work has been the busiest I've had at work since I started there, and things have been crazy at home too.  So, I thought I would take a few minutes this afternoon to sum up the last month in pictures.  For some reason, this first one is posting on the left instead of the center.  It's just been so interesting the way the weather has changed.  I took this first picture one day in the morning last month, and then the second picture the next day as I was waiting for the bus.   

Isn't it amazing how quickly the weather can change in the spring?  I love this second picture, with the sun shining down onto the plaza and the temple in the distance. I love working at the Church Office Building--it is such a beautiful place to spend so much time!

A few weeks ago Jon, Holly and Dad came and installed two new facuets for us.  (Holly came to help earn a Girl Scout badge).  Jan and I talk all the time about how it would be so much harder to be single if we didn't have our family close by, and all so willing to help.  I love this picture above.  I also love the picture below, where Dad is showing Holly something about the circiut breaker.

Last month was also our birthday.  I didn't get very many pictures this year, but thought I would post some.  This one below is from the family party we had on the Sunday before our birthday.

On the Saturday before our birthday, we went to Chuck-a-rama with Seth and Karla--since we share a birthday with Ethan, we always try to see him on or near our birthday.  We had a great time.  I am always so glad to get to spend time with my family, and we reminisced about earlier times at Chuck a rama (see this post, which has pictures of the infamous time at Chuck-a-rama when I got blue drink spilled all over me).  Our boys were a little crazy when they were younger (but always so cute!).  They were so good this time, and we had so much fun together.  Somehow I forgot to get any pictures--other than the one below, of the trees outside Chuck a rama.

Later that afternoon, we went to the park with Dan and Ems.  We met a nice couple with a really cute dog.  It was actually a sweet experience.  I was dealing with my normal birthday sadness, having another birthday without my husband and family.  This couple was so nice, and so cute with their kids, pushing them on the swings and playing with them.  But, when we asked about their kids, the man said, "We wish they were ours.  We don't have any kids, so we borrow the neighbors kids."  For some reason, that really touched me, and helped me realize that there are so many other people who are struggling with challenges, and that God is aware of all of us.  Here is a picture of the nice man with his dog--Matthew loved "Cali."

On Sunday, our actual birthday, I had another sweet experience.  I was just so hoping that in Church I could be around children.  We sit with the Second Counselor's wife, so I knew we would have darling kids with us during Sacrament meeting.  But it turned out that I was able to hold her newborn son all during Sunday School (because her nursery aged daughter was having a hard time).  Then, in Relief Society, I got to hold a darling red-headed 8 month old.  She was getting restless, and walked over next to me, so I picked her up and was able to hold her the rest of the meeting.  Just another little evidence that God is so aware of us and our needs.

On Sunday night, Melissa made dinner for us, and Ems made my favorite German Chocolate cake.  Our family is always so good to us on our birthday!  Here are some pictures from that:

  

As I said, I've been so busy at work that I've hardly had time to take lunches.  However, one sunny day I decided I had to leave for at least 1/2 hour.  Temple Square is so incredibly beautiful in the spring, and I had to get some pictures before all of the beautiful spring flowers were gone.  So here are pictures from my lunchtime walk one day a few weeks ago.   

 

  

  

  

Aren't the flower around Temple Square just amazing?  As I said before, I am so blessed to work at such a beautiful place.

This picture is, unfortuneately, of flowers at the hospital.  This last weekend was crazy.  Mom went into the hospital and had to stay for a few days.  Thankfully, she was okay, but I still hated having her there.  But it was nice to get to spend time with her and Dad.

We had dinner with Adam and Stace last Sunday night (and celebrated Brayden's bday). It was great to get to spend some time with just them for a few hours.

  

 Then we went to visit mom in the hospital again, and I got this cute picture of Logan and Truman.  They are getting so big!

Then, on Monday, I got an unexpected call from Mike that Janelle was in the hospital for an emergency appendectomy.  So I drove down to meet the girls after school, and got to spend time with them. That has been the best part of the last few weeks, even though they've been so busy--is that I've been able to spend time with so much of my family.  Dave and Mel invited me to bring the girls to their house to roast marshmallows...on their deck, if you can believe it.  They got some cool new deck furniture that allows you to have a fire in the deck table.  We had lots of fun--despite getting marshmallow on faces, hair, etc.  Here are pictures: 

Well, that's about it for now.  I've got to go finish my Saturday's work.  I'll try to post more often.  But hopefully I've made up for my silence with so many pictures!